Last Updated on December 21, 2022 by Ellen Christian
You finally got to spend the day at the beach with the kids (or without) and you come home, covered in sand and tacky from your sunscreen. You might think that hopping in the shower with a bar of soap is the best way to remove sunscreen. Here’s why you might be wrong.
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Best Way to Remove Sunscreen
Hopefully we all know how important it is to apply sunscreen every time we’re out in the sun. I cannot stress this enough. As important as it is to apply it when you’ll be out in the sun, it’s just as important to be certain that you remove it. Leaving sunscreen on can cause clogged pores and blackheads. Just washing it off with soap and water isn’t going to work.
When you apply sunscreen, you are trapping dirt and oils in your skin underneath the protective layer of sunscreen. Then you run around on the beach and in and out of the water and apply more which traps in more oils, sweat and dirt. Some types of sunscreen, especially the waterproof type, will really stick to your skin and won’t be easy to remove.
Oil based cleansers
The best way to break down the chemicals in traditional sunscreen is with an oil based cleanser. After all, water and oil do not mix so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think that water based cleansers will remove oil based sunscreen.
An oil based sunscreen will combine with the oil based cleanser (and whatever else is on your skin) and remove it when it’s washed off. Just massage your favorite oil based cleanser into your skin for two minutes and rinse off with warm water.
Body scrubs
If you need a bit more strength than that, try an oil based body scrub like my homemade salt scrub to help remove the sunscreen and impurities from your skin. You can also add your favorite oil based cleanser to a loofah or bath scrub for a little bit more cleansing power.
How will you know if you’ve gotten all of the sunscreen off your skin? Just touch your finger to your skin and then touch to a mirror. If your finger leaves behind an oily fingerprint, you haven’t removed it all.
Ellen believes you can feel beautiful at any age and size. She shares healthy beauty and fashion information geared toward women over 40. She is a direct sales rep for several fashion and beauty businesses.
You know, I have never thought about removing sunscreen. I just always take a bath at the end of the day and thought I was good.
You’d be surprised what that leaves behind, Jacqui.
Thanks for sharing this, I usually don’t think about removing sunscreen, just applying it. We are getting ready for a vacation so this comes pretty handy.
Hope you have a great time!
Never thought about what to do to take it off, so it doesn’t clog pores. Great idea, I will have to try that out, thanks for sharing!
Glad to share, Kelsey!
I’ve learned something new today, I didn’t think about removal before. I’m going to look for an oil based cleanser now! Thanks!
Glad to help, Layne!